SPEAKER_11 0:00

Amen. Amen. Amen. We're going to continue to worship, as I said, with some prayer and rededicating our nation back to God. But what we're going to do is you guys can just be seated and we're going to spend some time, as I said, reading Scripture and in prayer. And so as people come up, we have people that are going to come up and read Scripture and pray and just stay dialed in, stay in a posture of prayer, stay attentive and in a place of agreement. The purpose is that we are able to agree in prayer together and to unify with, listen to me, the tens of millions of people all over our country that right now, in this moment, are praying and believing and unifying around the same exact things. And in DC, right now, there's hundreds of thousands of people gathered at the mall from eight o'clock this morning to eight o'clock in the evening. And that's all they're doing is repenting and praying and declaring that as a nation, under President Trump's decree, that today is the day we rededicate our country back to God. That's an unprecedented moment to be a part of. And I think it's historical that we get to be a part of it. So let me let me uh kick us off in prayer, and then like I said, um we'll have people that are uh coming up. Jim and Linda, you guys can can come up. I'm actually gonna stand down here just to make it a little bit easier. Um all right, let's uh let's dive into this. So, Father, we pray that you would lead us in this moment. Holy Spirit, the word says we don't even know what to pray. You pray through us, you give us the words and give us the things that we are agreeing with you that are in alignment with your will and your ways for our families, for our nation, God, for our communities. I believe that if we're going to rededicate our nation back to you, that we have to call out and push against the darkness. And so we just start this off boldly, Lord, and we we call out and push against the LGBT agenda and all forms of sexual perversion, sexual deception leading to abortion, sexual abuse, trafficking, porn, and adultery. Those things are grievous to you. They hurt your people, they hurt your prized creation, men and women and children. And God, we say no more. We say it ends, God, with our generation. Lord, we push against and call out woke political and moral ideologies that are destroying our country. All forms of socialism and communism we recognize are from Satan to destroy the nations. We we, Lord, uh believe that it is wrong in the United States of America. It is hurting our country, weakening our country to advance other religions like Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and New Age while throttling Christianity no more, Lord. Our government cannot participate in that any longer. In the name of Jesus. Lord, we pray that we love allowing people to immigrate to our country. We believe that part of that is evangelism, that they would come to this country and they would come to know you. That's the greatest thing that could ever happen from them leaving their country and coming here. We pray we would stop allowing people to immigrate to this country that don't assimilate to this country, Lord. Lord, we call out the idolatry that's rampant in the church, God, in every church, including River Life Church. The idolatry of participating in other things over being the church and building authentic and deep-rooted faith family and community relationships. We repent for allowing your blessings to consume our lives and be worshipped over the call to lay our lives down and to follow you and to build your kingdom and your family on the earth. We recognize that if Satan can't get us into the vile and evil, immoral things, that he'll just allow us to idolize the good things and the blessings from your very hand to bring division and separation. And so we call out those good things. We repent of making idols out of business and sports, possessions, houses, cars, pets, education, recreation, food. Lord, we repent of just being wimpy and lazy and calling it rest. We we repent of following and worshiping our feelings and our offenses. And Lord, even worshiping family and putting our kids over you and allowing them to determine what we do and where we go and when we go there. Lord, we're done with that. We're repenting today of these idols. We're saying no more. We as your people will follow you and you alone. We will hear your voice. We will do what you say, we will go where you want us to go, we will do what you want us to do. Let our calendars reflect, God, that we are following you, prioritizing you. We're ordering our steps, God, according to your spirit and your ways. We recognize that these are the things that are being served and obeyed over you. They are what is being followed and served, and that you have been getting the leftovers. No more, Lord. No more. No more allowing the blessings that come from your hand to become an idol that we worship. We repent of it today, and we rededicate our lives and our families and our nation back to you in the name of Jesus. We call out right now in your presence, God, and we repent of these specific forms of idolatry and distractions. Lord, I pray that we would get our affairs in order and our houses in order, eliminating and removing anything that hinders us from following and obeying you, and anything that hinders our ability to prioritize what you are calling us to build for you and for your great name. God, as we open our hearts, I pray you would open our eyes to see and open our ears to hear. And Lord, above all, that you would give us revelation and wisdom in the name of Jesus.

SPEAKER_09 6:56

In keeping with the thought of repentance, it needs to start here with each one of us and then move on out through our land. I'm going to read 2 Chronicles 7, 14. And this is a scripture that God spoke to King Solomon after he dedicated and completed the temple, and this is what he said to him. He said, Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will forgive their sins.

SPEAKER_00 7:54

Earlier this week I woke up and I saw this vision. It's different for me. And it was a flat field afar. And in it were beings that were in some kind of choreographed activity, but it was an organized activity. And I understood it to be that which was working evil within our country and within our lives. And reminded me that the Lord says, in the face of evil, we do not cower. That it doesn't take everybody to pray, it takes God's people to pray. It takes us to stand in the gap, and we can shift the nation with that. Lord, today we humble ourselves. You are God, and we rededicate our nation to you as we declared by our as was declared by our forefathers 250 years ago. We seek your face and ask you to heal our land. We have sinned and we are broken without you. We stand in the gap and repent for the sins of our country for which we carry guilt. We assume the role of intercessors on behalf of our nation and ourselves, confident that we as a your people will hear from heaven and you will heal our land. We turn from our wicked ways. As we rededicate our nation back to you, as one nation under God, we enter your throne room with boldness to say, We are your people and you are our God. We repent of self-absorbed ways, focusing on our comfort and desires and place of passion for your kingdom purposes. Awaken us as we stir ourselves to a new awareness in the urgency of the times. Forgive us for bowing at the altar of convenience, lust, and indulgence, offering our children as a sacrifice to a God of pleasure, as we have erased a generation from the face of the earth. Forgive us when we have buried our heads in the sand, not being aware of what's happening around us, and not praying for those in authority in our nation, our state, and our cities. Forgive us for assuming a position of in times belief that renders prayers ineffective in our thinking since the future is predetermined. We acknowledge that the last days began as Christ's resurrections over 2,000 years ago, and we hold to that responsibility. Forgive us for all the secret sin that will become known in due season. Teach us to walk in the light as you are in the light, allowing ourselves to be cleansed from all iniquity. Forgive us for pulling away from community and allowing a spirit of independence, isolation, and justification to maroon us on our own island of belief, offense, and assumptions. Forgive us as a country that has legislated unrighteousness and called it righteous. Lord, forgive us for the part in breaking down of the family, ushering in gender confusion among our children, youth, and adults, and for divining marriages other than a man and a woman. Forgive us, Lord, for bowing at the altar of convenience. Lord, help us to see the difference between liberty and tyranny and regain a moral compass based on your word. We are aware that sin of our nation demands justice and that it rains on the righteous and the unrighteous. But we lift our hands as pillars of praise to hold back that judgment. So that you will come in these last days, and yet we pray, Lord, come quickly. We rededicate the United States of America to you. We cannot survive without your guidance. We seek divine intervention as we call out for mercy and forgiveness. Awaken us from a slumber of false security to a new alertness as we stand before you and fill us with your Holy Spirit and a new awareness of your presence in our lives as we turn from wickedness to righteousness. It is in these moments we surrender to you, to your leadership, and as you heal our land. Amen.

SPEAKER_10 12:34

But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. So, Jesus, on behalf of our nation, we declare that we are turning back to you. On behalf of the nation, we are saying that we will serve you alone. We will turn our eyes away from the idols and turn our eyes to you, Jesus. God, we repent for the times that we've relinquished our authorities as sons and daughters of the Most High, as ambassadors of the King. And just Lord, we just say we take our authority back and say that you reign over America, Lord. No spirits, no demons reign except you, Jesus. And we just say we repent for idolizing culture, for letting culture infiltrate our lives, and and letting that guide our morals, Lord. And we just repent for our need for entertainment in the church, Lord, over worship, God. We choose to serve you and to seek you alone, Jesus. Would you have your way, Lord? Your atmosphere rules in this place, in our nation, in our city, and in our lives. In Jesus' name.

SPEAKER_08 13:46

Number 622 over our nation, over our city, and over you. Then the Lord said to Moses, Tell Aaron and his sons to bless the people of Israel with this special blessing. May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord shine, smile upon you, and be gracious to you. May the Lord show your his favor upon you and his peace. Whenever Aaron and his sons bless the people of Israel in my name, I myself will bless them. River Life comes in agreement with your Eclipseia, the church, all across America, and the United States government. From the highest officials, the President of the United States, Donald Trump, just like Aaron was the highest official of Israel.

SPEAKER_07 14:48

Continuing prayer. We pray, declare, and decree in unity, purpose, and proclamation from River Life Church in Salina, Texas, the rededication of America back to you, Capital YOU. Back to you, Elohim, as Creator, Supreme Judge, and Mighty One. Back to you, Yahweh, Adonai, as Lord and Master. Back to you, El Shaddai, as God Almighty, the all-sufficient one. Back to you, the Messiah, Jesus, and back to you, I am who I am. We declare our human way has failed and will always fail. We declare your way will succeed and will always succeed. Jesus, some of our hearts are heavy today, some are regretful, some are apologetic, some prayerful, some doing more than expected. Some are already fighting the good fight. Yet all of us are thankful for this day in America. Here's the truth in Romans 10. Whoever believes in you will not be disappointed. Deuteronomy 31. If the Lord goes before you, he will go with you. He will not fail you or abandon you. Do not fear or be dismayed. So we release to you, Jesus, all disappointment from this moment on, all regret. Why today? Well, in 2 Corinthians 6 it says, For God says, At the right time I heard you. On the day of salvation I helped you. Indeed, the right time is now. Today is the day of salvation. So, Jesus, you know this, but I quote from President Trump. He said, From the beginning, this has always been a country sustained and strengthened by prayer. So important, if we bring religion back stronger, you're going to see everything get better and better and better. So as we chart our course for the next 250 years, let us rededicate ourselves to one nation under God. Even our governor, Greg Abbott, said, Wherever two or more are gathered in his name, God is with us. The mayor of Salina said, Tell of his glory among the nations, his wonderful deeds among all the peoples, seeking him in all generations. And then the mayor laid out specific pillars for our community. Here's the prophetic decree that the Lord showed me. As Janelle read the Aaron Priestly Leadership Blessing in number six, you want to recognize that God's name was mentioned three times in the Aaron Priestly Blessing. Verse 24 the Lord who blesses and protects, that's God the Father. The Lord who gives grace, that's God Jesus. And the Lord who for who gives favor and peace, that is God the Holy Spirit. And so we beseech you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, all three of you are active and working together in this special blessing, from the priest Aaron, the leader of the people to us, from Pastor Ben to us when he closes out service. And from our president, Lord, to us as Americans. Therefore, we believe life is in the power of our tongue. So for every individual here at River Life, we declare and rededicated ourselves back to you, or rededicated our neighborhoods back to you, our city back to you, our Texas back to you, and our America back to you. And may we settle in our minds and hearts today. We will not believe lies or get discouraged. We have the light of the world in us. Refiner's fire. Light the fire of revival as men, women, and young people at River Life and across America. It is up to us to build our communities, River Life and America. Thank you, Jesus, for hearing our Aaron's prayer proclaiming that America, Texas, Salina, and all of our families be rededicated back to you this May 17th, 2026. Amen.

SPEAKER_06 18:56

It says in say in 1 Samuel 7, during a time of crisis in Israel, it says, Then Samuel said to the people of Israel, If you want to return to the Lord with all of your hearts, get rid of your foreign gods and your images of Ashtareth. Turn your hearts to the Lord and obey him alone. Then he will rescue you from your enemies, the Philistines. So the Israelites got rid of their images of Baal and Ashtareth and worshipped only the Lord. Then Samuel told them, Gather the nation to Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you. So they gathered at Mizpah and in a great ceremony, drew water from a well, and they poured it out before the Lord. They also went without food all day and confessed that they had sinned against the Lord. So, Lord, we pray that you would pour your presence out across this nation, that you would restore what has been corrupted, that your spirit would work in us and through us, Lord, that we have done our part. We have gathered the nation. We are tearing down our false gods. We will fast and pray. We will do whatever we have to. But we need you to pour your spirit out on us, especially on my generation, God. I pray that in this generation you would ignite by your Holy Spirit the same conviction that inspired our founding fathers to establish and dedicate this land 250 years ago to freely worship your holy name. I pray that you would give us that same fire and perseverance to stand against our enemies, both foreign and domestic. They have to bow to you, God. Protect, help us to protect these unalienable rights that allow us to live in a way that honors you, God. Give us that same desire to do whatever it takes to maintain a healthy relationship with you. Jesus, move in this country, move in this people, and move in the next generation. This generation needs you more than ever. Show us your ways so we can be more like you and live fully in the liberty you have given us. Restore the American family. Bring us closer to you as we draw close together as a nation. This nation and generation belongs to you and you alone. It is in the name of Jesus that I pray. Amen.

SPEAKER_13 21:36

And if you did, I don't know if you felt what I felt during that time. Um I've never watched anything like that where the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, was in that place and touching lives. Um at that time, in fact, the day that he was killed, I had a Bible study that night, and we were studying Esther. And it reminded me of Queen Esther had a stand to she had to take a stand. And going in front of the king could have killed her. It could have been her last day on earth. But she took a stand. She walked in her authority. And that's what we're to do. For such a time as this, we are to put on our crown. We are to straighten our crown, put on our robe of righteousness, and walk in that authority that we have because of him. Ezekiel 22 30 says, And I sought for a man or woman among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none. Ephesians 6 12 says, For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

SPEAKER_01 23:28

And Father, I just uh I just thank you that men uh built this country off your principles, your word. And Lord, I just and mostly off Jesus, our Lord and Savior. And Father, it's become the greatest nation in the world because of that. And and now the principalities, the evil ones, Lord, is trying to take it back away from us, Father. It's attacking us. Father, it's blinded half of the people in this country that have no idea of who you are, Lord. And Father, we need to stand in the gap. We need we need praying people. We need uh just the love and compassion to know that they're blind. They don't know what they're doing, Father. And they need you to open their eyes, Father, and I just pray like you came upon me and opened my eyes when I went down to the altar, Father, that we would that you would allow that for the people of this country, Lord. And I just uh I thank you. I thank you for our pastor who's standing in the gap even today, Father, with his words and his resolve in this church, Father. And I just pray that you all across this land that you bless all these churches that have that mindset, Father, that your spirit be on them, that your power, which we need most importantly, Father, to show forth. We just ask all this in your precious name. Amen.

SPEAKER_05 25:06

I'm gonna be reading Psalm 33. Let the godly sing for joy to the Lord. It is fitting for the pure to praise him. Praise the Lord with melodies on the lyre, make music for him on the ten-stringed harp, sing a new song of praise to him, play skillfully on the harp and sing with joy. For the word of the Lord holds true, and we can trust everything he does. He loves whatever is just and good. The unfailing love of the Lord fills the earth. The Lord merely spoke and the heavens were created. He breathed the word and all the stars were born. He assigned the sea its boundaries and locked the oceans in vast reservoirs. Let the whole world fear the Lord and let everyone stand in awe of him. For when he spoke the world began. It appeared at his command. The Lord frustrates the plans of the nations and thwarts all their schemes. But the Lord's plans stand firm forever. His intentions can never be shaken. What joy for the nations who God is the Lord, whose people he has chosen as his inheritance. The Lord looks down from heaven and sees the whole human race. For his throne he observes all who live on the earth. He made their hearts, so he understands everything they do. The best equipped army cannot save a king, nor is great strength enough to save a warrior. Don't count on your war horse to you to give you victory. For all its strength, it cannot save you. But the Lord watches over those who fear him, those who rely on his unfailing love. He rescues them from death and keeps them alive in times of famine. We put our hope in the Lord. He is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in you alone. And my prayer for our nation, for our state, our city, our church, everyone, like our churches, our families here, is that we would just refocus back to the one thing. What is the one thing, God Almighty, and He covers it all. He is the one who is in control. We do not need to fear. We do not need to look this way or that way. It doesn't matter who's in the White House, it matters what you're doing in your house. And so, God, I pray right now that there would just be a boldness and a courage that rises up with your people to lead the way, Lord God. The lost or lost. Why do we expect them to be leading the way? We as your church, God, would we be bold and courageous to stand up and put you first? Help us to stop riding the fence. That's a painful place to be. Help us to choose you and you alone. May we be uh the people who start revival in the nations by starting it in our own homes. May we choose our spouses over our work buddies. May we choose our children over our activities and who's playing in the Super Bowl, Lord God. I pray that we would stand on your truth, that we would be people of you who celebrate family, that our family is nourished before we nourish everyone around us, Lord God. I pray that we would stand together as the church, that we would stop dividing over silly, divisive things, but that we would come arm in arm, knowing that we are your people, Lord God. We are one family and that our identity is in you and you alone. Just like Melanie said, Lord, the way we go, our children will go. Lead us, Father. We need you to lead us, give us purpose and passion to get back to the one thing so that we can be the beacon of hope that people need. They are hungry, they are starving. That's why they're looking to spiritual things because there is something in us that only you can fill. God, may we be willing to stand against the grain. Would we be willing to look weird, to look uh different from the world? It's so easy to say, but God, give us that boldness and that courage to be identified by our love for you and the way we live our lives. And so we just surrender it all back to you, Lord God. Help us get back to the power of the mundane, Lord. Help us to be excited about being bored with our family and doing fun things and figuring out life together and not being distracted, snacking our way through life where we're just so filled with garbage that we can't even sit down at the feast of the Lord. God, recalibrate us and bring us back to you. We just surrender it all to you and we praise you, knowing that we don't even have to do it. It's not even our strength. Would you change our hearts, change our minds, change our appetites? And would that change our city, our state, our country, and the nation? In Jesus' mighty name I pray. Amen.

SPEAKER_12 29:44

In Numbers chapter 16, the children of Israel are complaining against the Lord's anointed, Moses and Aaron. And in verse 44 it says, And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Get away from among this congregation that I may consume them in a moment. And they fell on their faces. So Moses and Aaron, so Moses said to Aaron, Take a censer, put fire in it from the altar, put incense on it, and take it quickly to the congregation, and make atonement for them. For the wrath has gone out from the Lord, the plague has begun. Then Aaron took it as Moses commanded and ran into the midst of the assembly, and already the plague had begun among the people. So he put in the incense and made atonement for the people. And the word atonement is this the action of making amends, paying for a mistake, making things right, it removes grievances and restores harmony between two parties who were previously alienated. And it says in verse 48 And he stood, he Aaron stood between the dead and the living, so the plague was stopped. Lord, may we be a people who stands in the gap, who stands between the dead and the living, the sinfulness of this nation, and makes atonement, makes amends, brings restoration from a nation who desperately needs you and makes them whole with you, Lord, so that we may receive forgiveness and your land is healed.

SPEAKER_03 31:13

Lord, we just come before you. Thank you that we live in such a great nation as this. Lord, may we not take for granted the freedom and the rights that we have in this nation. And Father, forgive us. Forgive us, Lord, for looking at everything around us and desiring those things. The grass is not greener on the other side. And Lord, we thank you. We thank you for this nation where we can come before you and worship you in spirit and in truth. We thank you, Lord Jesus, that your spirit, Father God, that we can walk wherever we want and your spirit is with us, Lord Jesus. Lord, I pray for our leaders. I pray for President Trump. Father, I pray protection over that man. I thank you so much that he is our leader and that he is leading this country and rededicating our nation, Father God, for you, Lord Jesus. Lord, thank you. Lord, and I pray that any attack that the enemy is trying to take on that man, Father God, I pray protection over him. And I pray that you will bring to light what is done in the dark, Father God, that you will bring to light, Father God, what is being done and what is being discussed in the dark, Father God, by the enemy, Father God. We stand in the gap, Lord Jesus. We stand and say, protect our leaders, Lord Jesus. We thank you and know that they are in the place that you have appointed them, Lord Jesus. And we thank you for them, Lord Jesus. And I just pray that the right people will be in his ear, Father God, and that you will remove people from his um leadership that does not need to be there, Father God. And we thank you, Lord Jesus. We thank you for this country where we do have the freedom of religion. But Lord, I pray against Islam, Father God. I pray against these Hindu gods that they're trying to bring into our country, and we rebuke them in the name of Jesus. And we pray and thank you for the boldness, Father God, the boldness in this generation, Jason, in this generation, in the older generation. And we just pray, Father God, Lord, you're just looking for willing hearts. You don't care if the age, Father, they can be a hundred, they can be five, but you are looking for willing hearts, Lord Jesus. And Lord, we just ask for a spirit of boldness to rise, Lord Jesus. Let us not be satisfied, Lord, in what we have right now. Lord Jesus, I just pray that we, that there will just be distaste for the things of the world, Lord Jesus. We are not of the world. We are of you, and let us look to the kingdom, Father God. Let us look to you. And Lord, I pray for our children. Lord Jesus, the enemy has had his place and tried to take our children. He's tried to fill them with confusion, Lord Jesus, and we say no. Enough is enough. And we stand in the gap and we rebuke you, Satan. You have no right, no authority, and we stand here and we say no. Enough is enough. And we are children of the most high, and we have the power and the authority that the Lord has given us, and we stand and say no in Jesus' name. Those are our heads, and you have no place, enemy. Get out in the name of Jesus. Those are our children, and we will stand and we will stand firm in the name of Jesus. No weapon that is formed against us, that is formed against our families, will stand in the name of Jesus. Thank you that you fight for us, Father God. Thank you that you are God and there is no one else like you. We pray that you will bring fathers back to their children and children back to their fathers, Father God. We pray for the family unit that the enemy has tried to take out. And we stand firm with these families, Father God. And we thank you for these family units, Lord Jesus. Lord, I just pray right now, Lord Jesus, for churches. I thank you for this beautiful church that we have right here. Lord, I just pray that your spirit will just fall. Lord Jesus, let us experience you like we have never experienced you before, Lord. Let your spirit just fall upon all of us, Lord Jesus. Lord, we need you. We need you, Father God. We need you, and we thank you that you will never leave us nor forsake us. Lord, Lord, just break our hearts for what breaks yours. Bring us back to you, Father. Bring this nation back to you, Lord Jesus. We need you. Lord, we rededicate our lives, our families, our homes. We rededicate our children back to you, the ones that are lost. Parents, don't give up on your children. Don't give up on your children. They will come back to the Lord. And we thank you, Lord Jesus. We thank you for this nation. And once again, we just rededicate this nation back to you. We thank you that we have leaders in place, Father God. And we pray that even as in 28, Lord Jesus, or even during the midterms, that you will raise up leaders that will fight for you. We thank you so much for your blessings. And we ask for unity like we've never experienced before. We're tired of division. We're tired of the enemy trying to cause division in families, in homes, in churches. Father, clean up your house, Lord Jesus. Clean up these churches. We've had enough. We've had enough of pretense. We, this is holy ground, is what your word says. Take off your sandals. This is holy ground. We're tired, Lord. We are so tired of what these churches have had to offer. And so, Lord Jesus, we just pray that you will just pour out your spirit. Raise up leaders, raise up leaders, Lord Jesus, from the younger generation to the older generation. Raise up leaders, Father God, to fight for you. We love you so much, Jesus. We can't live without you. And we thank you. We thank you for your peace. And we pray that you will keep us in perfect peace because our mind is stayed on you. In Jesus' name.

SPEAKER_04 37:26

Well, it feels good to have some fire in your bones, doesn't it? Feels good to be in a room and in a house where these are the people that are pouring into the next generation. Welcome to our kids' team. I'm just telling you, God's pouring out his spirit across the generations. And it's with great great purpose and intention. God loves us way too much to let us just scoot on by with all the entertainment. I'm telling you, the enemy is applauding those that are entertaining God's children to death. Is it gonna cost you some comfort? Is it maybe gonna be painful to be stripped away from the thing that we've gotten so used to? Is it shiny? Does it sparkle? Does it look like the thing you want to be part of? Yes, it does. Because it's got a spirit of enticement on it. The enemy has enticed an entire generation of God's people. I'm not even talking about the lost. The lost or lost. They'll pursue what they pursue until they see something better. And guess where they're not seeing it by and large. Because you know what they're seeing? They're seeing a whole generation of people that should belong to God bowing their knees at altars that they don't belong at. And so this time of rededication, this is not just a, you know, we're gonna point out there. It starts here. It starts in your seat. I think a lot of times we start out, I mean, a church, a church can start out even with the desire that we want to build something that's gonna be great for God. And then the next thing you know, we're building something and it's got a brand and it's got this and it's got that. And you know what? We've had people look at us and go, I don't know how you guys are gonna grow if you don't do dot dot dot dot dot dot dot dot dot all the things. And I'm telling you, it takes courage to say no when it could cost you everything. The truth is we said no to a lot of things that we have budget for, that we have team for. Y'all see the team? You hear the team, you feel the team. You don't think we could put that on social media and stir up a firestorm and have this place filled to overflow, but that's not what God is telling us to do. This doesn't belong to us, this isn't ours, this belongs to Him. And so, you know what I'm gonna do? I'm gonna hear and I'm gonna do what He says to do. And then as I do that, my prayer is that God would send us people that would believe like we believe and build like we build. So as we dedicate our homes and our lives, we also are dedicating this church to be the kind of place where God can look throughout the earth and go, hey, who's gonna stand in the gap? Guess what? There's a huge gap right now. We've got some of the largest, most beautiful, and there's wonderful people in those churches. But God's looking at the earth going, there's a gap. You know how we know? Look at the world. Look at how people are conducting themselves. You've got people who are influencers, but they have no authority. None. They don't even know the Bible, they've got clever sayings, but they don't have the heart and the passion to see people saved. They have a desire to be known. I don't care if anybody ever knows my name. Interestingly, I I would rather, if I could like hide like behind a curtain, that would be my preference. Kind of like the Oz, Wizard of Oz, you know, back behind. All the stuff's happening, but nobody knows who. Listen, God's doing a new thing. This is a new season. This church is a new wineskin. What happens when God tries to pour out new wine into an old wineskin? They're both ruined. And under the fear of the Lord, we are saying no to a lot of things. And hey, I'm telling you, if you get caught in that trap of looking to your right and looking to your left and looking at what's shiny and what's happening and what seems cool, you're gonna get lost in it. Can I speak truth? The fear of the Lord is what the people, all people, us, all of us, we all have to return to the fear of the Lord because it's the beginning of wisdom. All the stuff that's big and fancy and awesome, great. I'll go to it. I'll I'll receive from the Lord through it. But I'm telling you, there are trappings in the midst of it that will lead you off to places that you won't be able to find your way back in your own strength. God's doing a new thing. This is a new hour. This is a new time in history. If you just study the pages of history, you see there are times when one thing changes and it's never the same ever again. If you've lived on long enough, you know what I'm saying is true. You just think it's always gonna be a certain way. No, there are times and seasons. In this season, everything changes. Which direction it goes, it depends on the church. It depends on our response. Our response is our responsibility. And it is time for the body of Christ to be restored to a place of responsibility. But we've exchanged responsibility for comfort, we've exchanged responsibility for entertainment, we've exchanged responsibility for the things that the enemy has used to entice God's people away from the very heart of God. Even in Ben's prayer, it was people of God are worshiping the things of God. There's people that worship community. Do you know that we've had people say, I'm just looking for community? That's not wrong, but it's wrong if that's what you're looking for first. If that's what you're seeking, I'm telling you, it's a trap. The enemy will make sure that you find community, but you know what else you'll find in community? Flawed people. And if you are seeking first the community of a church, you're gonna get your feelings hurt and the enemy's gonna get you right out the door. Let's go this way because offense is coming to you. I'm gonna hurt your feelings. He will guarantee it. But if you seek first the kingdom of God, then the thing that you're looking for will be protected by the grace and the power of God. Because guess what? When God fills my heart and my life, I've got grace for you to be a flawed human being. I've got grace, and you'll have it for me, and it'll be this beautiful thing. Can we be a church that seeks first the kingdom? Yes, God. We don't want to be a church that seeks first the excitement and the sensational. Guess what? Exciting and sensational will bring you a circus. So you know what? You know what I want our marketing plan to be? I want our marketing plan to be the passion that we have for the Lord first and foremost. That we love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all of our strength. And that we love our neighbors that way. You can't give away what you don't have. If you don't have it yet, go behind a door, close it, and get alone with God until he speaks, and you can walk out of that door with some confidence and say, hey, I'm healed, I'm whole, I've got enough left over to share with you. It's okay to be broken, but it's not okay to stay that way. We've got to get into the presence of God where we are healed and made whole. Like there's no excuse. I mean, Jesus has died and resurrected, and the Holy Spirit has been given. Any part of us that remains fractured year after year after year is not a problem with what's being offered. It's a seeking problem. What are we looking for? Jesus asked the man by the pool, Do you want to be well? That's a big question. Seems insensitive of Jesus to ask that, doesn't it? I mean, this poor guy laying there and he's like, You want to get up? Because the truth is, we're gonna have what we want. It's been made available. God has made every provision possible for us to walk in victory. Let's go after him. Let's go after God and his heart, and then all those things, I'm telling you, all of it will find its way to you because it's in him. The Bible says that we live and move and have our being. If there's part of your living and moving and having your being, how you feel, your well-being, if it's not okay, where do you gotta go? You gotta go back to him. And guys, listen, it's called soul gravity. You're gonna you're gonna drift. All of us drift, but then we have to set our face like a flint back to God. When we rededicate ourselves back to God, God, every day, what am I off a little bit, God? Bring me back to you. God, that hurt my feelings, but I don't want to stay in my feelings. God, I surrender that situation, that person, that circumstance to you, and you get right back in line. Your life belongs to you. And then the life that belongs to you, you get to decide. Joshua says, choose this day whom you're gonna serve. As for me and my house, you're gonna serve the Lord. That's what we're gonna do. And we just keep marching in that straight line. Do we get off? Yep, then we get right back on. Do you get off? Yep, then you get right back on. Fight the good fight of faith. There's a lot of fights the enemy's inviting you to, but you don't have to show up to all of them. I tell my boys all the time, someone knocks on the door, guess what? We have ring cameras now. You can just look it up, see who's at the door, and you get to decide. Well, guess what? If you have the Holy Spirit, you've had that technology in your spirit for a long time. When people knock at your door, you know there's an agenda on the other side. And I don't need what all those people are selling. The enemy is a horrible solicitor. Every thought that comes to you isn't you. Take those thoughts captive. Decide for yourself, but you gotta know God's word. If you're not in the word, you don't have a chance. I mean, that is just the truth. Reading the Bible is not a discipline, it's a necessity. If you don't know God's word, if you don't love God's word, you're going to struggle. And you know what? Sometimes you have to start with a discipline. But just like we sang earlier, the more I know you, the more I want to. And then you'll find yourself in a place where I can't get enough. And you'll be looking for God's word everywhere. You won't leave home. I don't leave home without my Bible. I don't always read it. It it kind of feels like strange sometimes. I took it on vacation and I didn't even get to open it. But it's a companion, constant. Like I have to have my Bible with me, my paper one. Because this is a big distractor, too. So listen, the rededication of our homes is gonna start with God's word. I hide your word in my heart that I might not let sin against equity. What is sin? Missing the mark. It's not all the gross, dark, evil stuff. I mean, if if we're dealing with that, that's a whole other conversation. But as followers of Christ, we have walked away from that life, and now it's just the details. It's the little foxes, it's the little things, it's the little attitudes. Of course, correcting. We rededicate ourselves to the word, to prayer. What is prayer? That's what we did today. And it comes in all forms. You may not pray like I prayed or like Ben prayed or like Brady, but it doesn't matter. Your prayer is precious to God because he's a father who's waiting to hear your request. He says, make your request known. How do we how does he know what to lavish on you when you won't even interact with him? It's okay to say, God, I really don't feel like I want to read your word right now. You can be as honest as you can be with the Lord. God, will you stir up a flame in me for your word? Because honestly, God, I open it and I'm bored. Ever been there? These are honest prayers. I've been there. God, I read your word and it's like nothing comes off the page like those other people say. But I'm telling you, if you will set aside enough time, you'll start changing your appetite. When you push away the things that you've been feeding on, all the nonsense, like TV murder dramas before you go to bed and you're going, God, I'm having nightmares. Well, you're sewing. Again, you become what you behold. You want more of him? Get in the word. You want those desires to change? Get in the word. And ask. He's a good God. He's gonna give you good things. And so, Father, we pray in the name of Jesus, Lord, that you have stirred in all of us in this atmosphere today as we are rededicating our own selves and our families and our homes and our church and our city. God, we put it all back in your hands. It's a sacred surrender that we offer you today. God, we will not be flippant with your kingdom any longer. God, help us rearrange our priorities. God, things that started out for you that are now more about us than they are about you. God, realign our hearts. God, whether it be our family, we start out and we have all these dreams and desires for our families, and the next thing we know, the family is running the house and not you. God, would you restore back the holy order? That God, we seek you to know what our next move is. We don't survey the needs and desires of children who have no idea what's around the corner, but God, you do. God, we don't seek one another and decide what our summer's gonna look like based on what would be the most fun. God, we look to you because God, fun is wrapped up on the inside of you. God, you love celebration. We won't miss the good life. You laid your life down so that we could have the good life, but not just unto ourselves, but that we would build something eternal. Not just this temporary, entertained lifestyle, but this lavished, incredible, eternal life that you have for us. Not just for here, but for after, God. And Lord, I pray in Jesus' name, God, that you would establish your work in this city through us as River Life Church. God, I speak courage into every person in this room. The courage to stand when it doesn't look shiny, when it's not sparkling, when it's not stirring and swirling with all the fun and all the amenities, God. Lord, we don't need anything but you. Give us the gift of simplicity, God, to return back to the simplicity of what it means to belong to you, that that and that alone would be enough to satisfy. Lord, change our appetites, change our desires. God, change our focus today. And as we just continue to seek you first, God, that you would add all the things in perfect order. God, that when you give blessing, you give it without strings attached. There's nothing there to pull us into something that we didn't agree to. God, I pray in Jesus' name, I break all of the secret agreements that are attached to decisions that people in this room have been making that they had no idea what the fine print of saying yes to that versus yes to you would be. God, we sever those strings. It looked good, it sounded good, but God, it leads unto death. God, I cut the strings. I take authority in the name of Jesus, and I cut those strings. God, give us eyes to see. Open spiritual eyes. God, I can't do that for people in this room, but you can. Open spiritual eyes to see the full cost of what we have said yes to and what we have said no to. God, I pray that we would guard and protect our yes to you as if our eternal reward depends on it because it does. God, may we say no to the things that are not assigned in this season by your hand. Just like Moses knew somewhere deep down he was a deliverer, but he took matters into his own hands. God, let us not be like Moses in that season of his life. May we know your word and may we lean into it and learn the lesson that you put that in writing for us to know. Give us wisdom through your word, God. Father, I pray in Jesus' name, Lord, that every family represented here, God, that our children would be presented to you. Presented to you in such a way that God, you would give us wisdom to help shape them. God, they need to be led, they need to be prayed over. God, they need to be shapen in your ways. And it's gonna be counter to the world. The things that the world has told us our kids need to thrive and to soar, they're all lies. Education is an idol. You don't need to be educated to be powerful and mighty. Some of the most lost people on this planet are the most educated. We are now seeing with our own eyes the institutions that once held high standards and high reward, they're crumbling because the morality is trash. They exalt things that oppose the Lord. But may we be a people that puts you above all things, God. Lord, just like in the book of Daniel, you can give us an unusual aptitude to learn and to know the things. God, by your spirit, you created everything. Everything in heaven, on earth, and under the earth. God, it all belongs to you. And there are mysteries, God, that if we would just seek you and be close to your heart, you can whisper. One whisper from you could revolutionize what we've believed to be true about science, what we've believed to be true about geopolitical agendas. One whisper from you, God. God, may you fill this room with people who are more curious about your heart and your kingdom and your mysteries than anything else. Use your word to enlighten a generation. Every textbook that's got lies woven through. God, I pray that your people would see truth because they seek you. And when they seek you, they will find you. When they seek you with their whole hearts. Let this be a return of the heart, not the intellect, not the activity, but the heart. And as we think in our hearts, so will we be. God, we declare over this church, over these families, over this city, and over our nation, we belong to you. In Jesus' name. Let's all stand together. God, restore the vision from your word that you put into the hearts of the men and women who built this great nation. Restore the vision to your people. From your word, from your heart, from the very throne room. God, would you speak to your people? Would you give us strength and courage to stand? And when we've done everything we know to do, that we would stand and keep standing. Lord, that we would not waver, that we would not be at the mercy of culture, that we would not be at the mercy of our own fleshly desires. But God, we are at your mercy. You and you alone, God, have the words of life. We look to you, Jesus. We look to you, God, and your word. God, would you revive the hearts of the young people? God, help them to see the scam of the world for what it is. God, I pray, Lord, that it would literally be give them visions as they're driving down the road and they see things that once enticed them, that they would see that it's full of dead bones. God, they would just see it. They would walk past people that they wanted to be like yesterday, and then they would see what's really in their hearts. Recalibrate our eyes, God, that we might see, that we would know. God, don't let us wander around blindly following things that are leading us to death. Death in our future, death in our marriages, death in our homes. God, we seek you and we seek life. Let's go back to a time of worship. I want to encourage you, just pour out your heart, open your hands. Anything that was prayed about, touched upon, that you feel like, man, that's in me. I've participated in that, man, I got distracted by that. Whatever the Holy Spirit is bringing to the surface, open your hands. And man, let the wind and the fire of God just sweep past you and remove it from you. But he's not gonna leave you empty. I pray that there would be a fresh filling of God's Holy Spirit, the desire to obey, and the power to do what pleases him. In Jesus' name.

SPEAKER_14 1:04:33

Do it only you can do Spirit Breaking Jesus in this place. We wanna see a kingdom here. Oh, we prophesy. We wanna see a kingdom here, King Jesus. Your name we're lifting high, your glory shaking up the earth and skies. We wanna see our kingdom here. We wanna see our kingdom here. We wanna see our kingdom here. We'll seek it first. We wanna see your kingdom here. King Jesus ruling and reigning. We wanna see a kingdom come. Your will be done. King Jesus. One more time. You're the name we're lifting high. Your glory is shaking up there in skies. We want to see our kingdom here. We want to see our kingdom here.